The Portal
by lorann
Summary: Chapter 12 now up! Three years had passes without Max visiting Planet Drool. The last time the dynamic duo had seen him, he and Linus were being sucked into a mysterious portal. Now it won't leave them alone...and who is the mystery girl?
1. Chapter 1: Flashback

**Hola, friends. I've decided to update this story so I don't have five chapters in one. That was annoying to me. So they're all short until later, but I'm assuming most of you won't even read this because you're heading straight for the latest chapter. Actually, it might be wise to refresh your memory. I know I had to. Teehee. R&R, loves!**

**Chapter 1**

It had been three years since Sharkboy and Lavagirl had been to earth to save Planet Drool. It had been one year since they had seen Max, the Day Dreamer…

"LAVAGIRL!" Sharkboy was yelling at the top of his lungs. His arms were crossed and his foot was tapping impatiently.

"What!" Lavagirl's head popped out of a window from a high tower in a beautiful castle that was now her home. Sharkboy wiped the sweat from his forehead and glared up at her.

"Why did she have to have her castle built right by the volcano?" he mumbled to himself.

"WHAT IS IT, SHARKIE!" Lava screamed again.

"Would you hurry up and get down here?" He yelled up to her. Lava rolled her eyes and her head disappeared. Sharkboy sighed and sat on the stone fence behind him, but not for long. He yelped in pain as the stones burned his "skin". He quickly jumped up and rubbed the burnt spot. Suddenly, he heard a _faint, soft laugh._ His sharp instincts caused him to whip around before the first giggle was over. Almost as quickly as it was there, it was gone. Too fast for even Sharkboy!

"What are you doing?" Sharkboy jumped and fell over the stone fence. Lava laughed and walked over to where he was sprawled out on the ground. "Your jumpy today, aren't you?" She held out a hand to help him up, but almost instantly pulled back before Sharkie saw. She sighed, a little disappointed. Lava had quickly forgotten how she would always hurt Sharkboy, as long as _she_ was Lavagirl.

"Ow…" Sharkboy slowly pulled himself to his feet and wiped the dirt off himself. "Trying to kill me, LG?" He smirked a little and Lava rolled her eyes at him.

"Can we please go now?" She gave him a look that said "NOW" and Sharkboy quickly nodded. They began walking down the path on the side of the volcano. They walked in total silence all the way to the ocean's edge. Lava stood at the edge as Sharkboy dived in with expert form. She fiddled with her new dress uncomfortably, waiting for him to reappear. He did, about a minute later. His head bobbed above the waves and he grinned at Lavagirl. She half-heartedly smiled back as he dived back under the waves.

"Well, this is boring." She sat on near by rock and rested her chin in her hands.

Your probably wondering why Lavagirl came all the way down here just to watch Sharkboy swim. Well, that's not what she was doing. Actually, Sharkboy was searching for something. Something only they knew about, even though they knew very little about it. The only thing they knew was what Max had told them…the last time he had visited. Lavagirl remembered it clearly…

"_A portal?" She had asked, very curious._

"_Yeah!" Max had replied excitedly. He was in 6th grade at the time, and grown up a little more. He had longer hair and it was a darker blonde. He was taller and still very lanky. He grinned at Lavagirl and showed her the drawing of a portal._

"_We discovered it the other day." Another boy said. Lava nodded at Linus and waited for them to continue. Linus had also grown up a bit. He had longer, darker brown hair and wider shoulders. He was a little taller and he had grown into his body quite well._

"_We both had the same dream about it. I know its somewhere in the ocean."_

"_What does it do?" Sharkboy wanted to know more. Lava nudged him for interrupting then looked back at the two boys, who were now best friends._

"_We're not sure," Linus answered, "but we believe its something we need to find." After that, the two boys climbed in Sharkboy's submarine, with Sharkie swimming closely behind them. Lavagirl was left, once again, to sit on the rock she was on now._


	2. Chapter 2: The Portal

**Chapter 2**

"Lava!" Lavagirl jumped a little and looked at Sharkboy standing over her.

"Oh, sorry." She looked back down to the ground, still thinking about that day.

"You thinking about that day?" She hated when he practically read her mind…and yet, it made her feel happy that they knew each other so well. She nodded and Sharkie sat next to her. "Don't worry. Linus and Max are fine. They were sent straight back to earth."

"I know, but what about the portal? You said right after they were sucked in, it disappeared!"

"Its still somewhere in the ocean. I know that. I just wish I had my sub…" He frowned a little and looked at Lava, who was still upset. "What?"

"Its just…how come neither of them ever came back? Or-or even tried to contact us?" That's what always hurt her the most. Sharkboy was tempted to take her hand, but he knew better. He glanced at his pinkie that had a few, minor burns on it. He drooped his head a little and shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe they couldn't get back?" Lava shook her head.

"You know Max has total control of this place. Nothing could keep him from getting here…except himself." She stood up and began walking down the beach. Sharkie scampered up behind her stuck out his pinkie. What was another minor burn? He couldn't feel a thing when he was with his best friend. Lavagirl gave him a small smile and wrapped her pinkie around his. They swung their arms back and forth and continued down the beach. As they walked and continued talking about the portal, there was a huge, loud sucking noise that suddenly came from the ocean. Sharkboy pushed Lavagirl behind him protectively. He ignored the searing pain in his arm as Lavagirl grabbed it, holding him back. Sharkboy glared menacingly at the whirlpool forming before their eyes. His eyes widened as he realized what it was.

"The portal!" He yelled. Lava gasped a little and backed farther away from the portal, letting go of Sharkboy. A huge gust of wind came up from behind them, blowing LG's hair everywhere. Sharkboy turned to her and tried to get to the rock she was on. The wind grew stronger with every step he took. He inched closer and closer, his eyes squinted from the sand and wind blowing at him. The roaring of the wind and the crashing waves made it impossible for Sharkboy to hear Lavagirl screaming at him to stop. Suddenly, his feet were lifted off the ground by the force of the wind. Sharkboy's eyes widened and he kicked his legs, trying to get back on the ground. He grabbed a hold of the rock Lava was on, clinging for dear life. He looked at Lava, fear filling his face. She instinctively grabbed his arm and clung tight. Sharkboy yelled in pain and Lavagirl let go quickly.

Big mistake.

Sharkboy went flying through the air and was sucked into the whirlpool.

"SHARKBOY!" Without thinking, Lavagirl dived off the rock and straight into the whirlpool, just as it was disappearing.

Lavagirl was suddenly falling through the whirlpool. She was surrounded by swirling water and wind, and she was falling straight down towards a light far away from where she was. She couldn't talk, she couldn't breath. She could hardly see. The only thing she knew was that she was falling through nothing-ness. She clamped her eyes shut and suddenly…

THUMP!


	3. Chapter 3: Into the World

**Chapter 3**

Lava sat up and rubbed her head. She looked around at her surrounding but saw nothing. It was completely dark.

"S-sharkboy?" She was frightened by not knowing where she was. She stood up and walked around, suddenly running into a wall. She stumbled back a little and touched her nose carefully,

"Ow." She continued walking around, this time with her arms out in front of her. As she was walking, she remembered the lava flowing through her. She could hardly see the fire in her underneath that dress. She immediately ripped it off, grinning when she saw her normal self underneath. She hadn't been like this for three years! She felt glad she was becoming her old self again. She made two fists and her heat began flowing faster. Her lava light up the room, and she gaped at her surroundings.

"This looks like a bedroom…" It was a bedroom…but she didn't know who's it was. She held out her hand and searched for something to light the room…other than herself. She was careful not to touch anything, and she found a light switch. She turned it on and blinked as the room became even brighter. She let herself cool down as she wandered around, looking for a clue of where she might be. It was definitely a girl's room. Lave heard the doorknob turning and she tried to hide, but she was too late. The door swung all the way open, just to see Lavagirl standing in the middle of the room, smiling innocently. Her smile turned into a surprised stare at the girl at the door.

"Lavagirl?" The girl was as surprised as Lava was.

"Ice Princess!"

"Actually, its Marissa." Lava blinked. A loud ringing noise filled the room and Lava blinked again. "That must be Max." Marissa said, edging towards her phone.

"Max?" Lavagirl said quietly.

"Hello?" Marissa said. "Oh, hey Max! You'll never guess who is in my room!" Marissa frowned as Max said something over the phone. "Wait, Sharkboy's there?"

Lavagirl practically squealed with delight when Marissa said that.

"Sharkboy!" She said happily. She was glad they hadn't ended up in two separate universes.

Sharkboy was standing in Max's room, watching Max talk on the phone. He heard someone squeal and yell his name. He knew it was Lava.

"WHAT!" he yelled back. Max rolled his eyes at him.

"Quit yelling, Sharkboy! There on the other line, not the other room!" Sharkie wrinkled his nose.

"What other line? I don't even see the first line!" He crossed his arms. "Earth is weird." He mumbled. Max turned to him, still on the phone.

"I mean, they are talking to me through the phone. They're really down the street." Sharkboy looked at Max like he was stupid.

"Earth is still weird!" He said. Max huffed and told Marissa bye, hanging up the phone.

"We're meeting them at Linus' house. Put this sweatshirt on and these pants. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves." Max threw a big hood sweatshirt at him, as to cover his dorsal fin. He also threw a pair of baggy jeans. Sharkboy attempted to put the jeans on, but every time he got them up, they went right back down.

"These are a jillion times too big!" He said, glaring at Max. "How do you expect me to wear these?" Max handed him a belt. Sharkboy looked at it with confusion. "Whats that?" Max sighed and put the belt on for him.

"It's a belt. It holds up your pants to they don't fall to your ankles when your walking!"

"Why do these pants have to be so big?" Sharkie whined, squirming in the material.

"So people don't see your fins on your legs!" Max exclaimed. He was getting a little frustrated, but he knew it wasn't Sharkboy's fault. "Now hurry up and put that hoodie on. We need to go!" Sharkboy did as he was told…with much difficulty.


	4. Chapter 4: Dress Up

**Chapter 4**

Lava blinked as Marissa hung up.

"We're meeting them at Linus' house. Now…" Marissia put a finger to her chin. "How can we make you blend in…?" Lavagirl frowned at her.

"What do you mean? Put _clothes_ on me! They'll turn to ash!" Marissa shook her head and picked up the dress of Lava's lying on the floor.

"I happen to know that this dress has fire-resistant material. If you were this under _your_ clothes, _my_ clothes won't burn!" Marissa tossed the dress to her and Lavagirl slipped it on. "Here…you can wear this dress over it…" Marissa tossed her a cute pink sundress that form-fitted Lava perfectly. Lava giggled as she spun around, watching the dress twirl around her. "Now…what to do with your hair…" Marissa thought, then smiled. "I got it!" Lava's flame-resistant dress trailed down far past her ankles. Marissa grabbed some scissors and cut the dress up until the bottom of the sundress. She cut off a square and glued it into a pink hat that matched the color of LG's hair.

"What about my hair color? Earth doesn't really have many pink-haired people walking around!"

"You'd be surprised…" Marissa laughed. She carefully tucked Lava's hair under that hat, letting a few strands hang by her face. "Perfect!" She said, holding up a mirror to Lavagirl. Lava's bright smile filled the room.

"I look like a normal person!" She said excitedly. She turned to Marissa and giggled. "Thank you SO much!" She looked down at her feet. "What about my lava-boots?" She said. "They look all clunky…" She nodded.

"Can you take them off?" Marissa asked. Lava nodded and Marissa pulled them off with her rubber gloves. To her surprise, Lava had very petite, delicate feet hidden under those huge boots. She took out a pair of pink flip-flops. "Instead of lining them with your dress, why don't we spray them with fire-resistant spray?" Lava nodded as Marissa did so. After about two minutes, Lavagirl slipped them on and wiggled her toes, giggling.

"I like this new me!" She said happily. Marissa smiled at her work.

"Come on, we need to go meet the boys." She grabbed Lava's arm, which she had made long gloves out of the dress for, and lead her out the door.

Sharkboy fussed with his sweatshirt as he and Max were walking.

"Knock it off, Sharkboy! Its just a hoodie!" Max said, rolling his eyes. Sharkboy crossed his arms and huffed. He didn't like this at all. "Chill, we're here." Sharkboy looked at Max funny.

"Chill? How do I _chill_ in these clothes? Their hot an itchy!" He nodded, scratching his arm.

"I meant, calm down!" Max said dragging him up to Linus' front door. He rang the doorbell and waited.

"Hey Sharkboy!" Lava's happy voice came from down the street, along with some giggling from her and Marissa. Sharkboy turned and looked at them. If Lavagirl wasn't his best friend, he wouldn't have recognized her for the life of him.

"Lava!" He said, pretty much in shock. Lava's bright smile lit up the evening as she walked over to them.

"Yeah! Isn't this awesome?" She said, motioning at her dress. Max smiled.

"At least you two are having fun together." He crossed his arms, too. Sharkie shot him a look, and Max did the exact same thing. Marissa laughed a little.  
"Oh, quit it." She said playfully. Max shrugged just as Linus opened the door.

"Hey Max and Marissa…whoa!" Linus suddenly noticed Lavagirl and Sharkboy. "What are you two doing here!" He said, stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

"We got sucked into the portal." Sharkie said, nodding seriously. Lava suddenly remembered something.

"Yes…like you two did." She frowned a little. "How come you never came back?" Sharkboy shook his head and gave her a look that said 'not now!' Lava looked at her feet and Max looked at Linus.

"We…um…" Linus didn't know what to say. He sighed a little and shrugged. "I don't know, LG." He said, shrugging sadly. Marissa looked at them.

"You mean, you found the portal again?" She asked, desperate for a change of subject.

"Well actually…" Sharkie said, looking at her. "The portal found us."


	5. Chapter 5: Portal Again

**Chapter 5**

After Sharkie and Lava explained to everyone what happened, Max went into deep thought.

"Someone has to be controlling it…" He mumbled. "I don't see any other way it could just_ find _you." He looked at Linus and he nodded, agreeing with him. Meanwhile…Lava was wiggling her toes and giggling. Sharkboy was trying to think, and her constant laughter made it very hard. He shot her a glare and she instantly stopped. She continued smiling down at her toes.

"I can't get over how much older you two look…" Marissa said to Sharkboy and LG. They looked at each other…of course they looked different! But they had grown with each other and didn't really notice. Lava smiled and Sharkboy suddenly noticed how she really did look different…and pretty…he started to smile, but caught himself, shaking the thought out of his mind. He went back to listening to Max and Linus.

"They do look different, don't they?" Max was nodding at Marissa. Sharkboy rolled his eyes.

"Can we please get back to what's important here? Figuring out how to get us back home!" Lavagirl elbowed him and he frowned, crossing his arms.

"I don't want to leave so soon!" Lava said, giving SB an innocent face. He sighed and shook his head. He started pacing back and forth. He suddenly tripped over his baggy pants and hit the sidewalk. He heard laughs…that laugh from earlier! He looked over at LG, but none of them were paying attention to him. The laugh continued and he looked around, confused. He thought he saw a shadow move. He slowly got to his feet. He walked quietly but quickly to where he saw the shadow and peeked behind the bushes. He saw someone turn and gasp, instantly disappearing. Sharkboy blinked…it was gone! He suddenly felt a strong wind coming up behind him. He frowned and turned to look at everyone. "Oh my god!" He yelled, running over to Lavagirl, who was hanging onto a stop sign and screaming. The portal was back! Linus, Max, and Marissa were nowhere to in sight. Sharkboy ran for Lava, grabbing her arm and preparing himself for pain…he felt heat, but not searing pain. He smiled a little, but Lava yelled at him to wake up.

"Sharkboy, help!" She called over the loud noise. Sharkboy nodded and tried pulling her off the pole…he saw burn marks in the metal from her hands. She was scared. He pulled on her arm, but suddenly, there was a push on his back and he fell into the portal dragging Lava with him. Before the portal closed, Sharkie looked up and saw a girl standing above them, long, straight brown hair whipping in the wind. He couldn't see anything but her head…but he felt there was something about her he needed to know…the portal closed.


	6. Chapter 6: Human

**Chapter 6**

Lavagirl felt consciousness coming back to her. At the same moment, a flood of pain rushed through her body and she screamed.

"LG! LG, calm down!" Lava felt someone patting her cheek. She calmed herself to the point in which she could open her eyes. She saw three shadowy figures standing over her. Two boys and a girl.

"Max? Marissa? Linus? Is that you?" She asked slowly in a weak voice. She heard murmurs from the three…confused whispers. She blinked a few times before her surroundings came into full focus. The three stepped back from her and let her sit up. Lava looked around at the kids. "Who the heck are you?" She asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

"Oh no! She has a concussion!" The girl said, clasping a hand over her mouth in shock.

"Someone call 911!" One of the boys shouted, starting to panic. The other boy rolled his eyes and smacked the frightened boy upside the head. They were obviously brothers. As Lava examined them, she noticed the boy's were twins.

"LG, are you ok?" The calm twin asked, kneeling next to her.

"I-i…I'm fine." She said blinking at his bright blue eyes. She slowly reached up and touched his shaggy blond hair. Then she gasped and pulled her hand away, hoping she hadn't burnt him. "I'm sorry, i…" She cut herself off. She hadn't burned him?

"Sorry for what?" The boy asked, looking puzzled. Lava shook her head.

"Who are you?" She repeated slowly, a little frightened.

"Duh, that's Kyle." Lava turned her attention to the girl. She had dark red hair and seemed very tall. Then again, LG was sitting down.

"Uh…I don't know anyone named Kyle…" Lava said, gaining strength to stand up.

"Do ya know someone named Keifer?" The other twin asked, smiling now. Lava shook her head and his smile faded.

"What about me? Do you know who I am?" The girl asked, raising an eyebrow. Lava slowly stood to her feet, with the help of Kyle.

"No, I'm sorry…" She said slowly, looking at her feet. Her feet! There were no big boots…no pink sandels…just plain white tennis shoes. She frowned and looked at her pants. She was wearing a skirt! Not a pink skirt, not the dress Marissa had let her wear. She was wearing a jean skirt…and her shirt! No pink in site…it was a brown tanktop. Of course, Lava didn't know all the names to her clothes…but somehow, she instantly recognized them. Something was going on here…She looked up at the red headed girl.

"You don't remember me? Cami? Your best friend!" She asked, surprised. Lavagirl shook her head.

"Come on, Leah, stop messing around." Lava heard Kyle's voice and turned around to face him.

"Who, me?"

"Yeah, you're names Leah Grahm…duh." Keifer answered from beside her.

"No its not…my name's Lavagirl." She said slowly, frowning at the three. The group stared at her. Lava looked down at her feet again and noticed something brown out of the corner of her eye. It was hair…her hair. She slowly reached up and felt it with her fingers. That's when everything started to make sense. "I'm HUMAN!"


	7. Chapter 7: Princess

**Chapter 7**

"WHAT!"

"Chill, Sharkboy! God!" Max's voice echoed through the halls of the Ice Castle. Marissa and Linus exchanged glances, knowing Max had finally told Sharky that they didn't know where LG was. They were both in their real world clothes, nothing big.

"Ice Princess!" A small girl's voice came from one of the large doorways in the throne room. Marissa looked up to find a little girl with blond, curly hair.

"Erm, yes?" She answered, not used to being called by her Drool name.

"You've returned!" The little girl ran over to the stairs, her long, baby blue, snowflake dress trailing behind her.

"Yes…" Marissa said slowly. "May I ask…who are you?" She did her best to use her royal voice. The little girl started to make her way up the stairs.

"I am Korbie." The delicate child answered, her royal voice bubbling to the surface while she spoke. "Princess Korbie." Marissa's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry, Princess Korbie, but I have not heard of you." She answered, equally royal. Korbie nodded, her blonde curls looking pale in the icy room, still climbing the steps.

"I have been ruler of the Ice Kingdom during your absence, Miss." She said, her voice wavering slightly. "Please, don't take offense…" Marissa cut her off by shaking her head.

"I wouldn't. Thank you, Princess Korbie." Marissa gave her a slight curtsy, which Korbie immediately returned, a small smile on her face. The moment was interrupted, though. Linus gave a small cough, as if clearing his throat. "Oh yes, Korbie, this is…Linus." She said, not sure what to call him now. Korbie turned to him and gave a slight dip of her knees, gesturing welcome. Linus, unsure, just nodded with a nervous look on his face. He had never been to the Ice Castle. Again, they were interrupted by a large door slamming and stomps echoing down the halls.

"Here comes Sharkboy…" Linus mumbled, sitting on the stairs. Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, Sharkboy appeared, steaming. Max wasn't far behind. Sharkboy stomped towards the stairs, his mouth open, ready to yell, until he saw Korbie. She turned and curtsied at him and Sharkboy bowed.

"Hey Korbie." Sharky said, standing upright. Korbie ran down the steps to him and smiled.

"Hi Sharky!" She said excitedly. Sharkboy patted her head and went up to Marissa and Linus, Max just behind him.

"You know her?" The three asked in unison. Sharkboy shrugged.

"That's not what's important right now. What's important…" He paused, eyeing them all. "Is to find Lavagirl…and stop that portal."


	8. Chapter 8: Dreaming With Your Eyes Open

**Chapter 8**

"Kyle…can you like…not stand so close to me?" Lava looked at him uncomfortably. Kyle's cheeks reddened and he stepped back.

"Sorry, its just…there's something different about you, Leah." He said, his eyes meeting hers. He examined her and LG squirmed a little.

"No duh, she can't remember anything." Keifer said, rolling his eyes. Lava looked across the room at him. They were in _her_ room, apparently. Cami was sitting on Lava's bed, thinking hard.

"The weird thing is…" She finally said, still thinking hard. "The doctor's said nothing was wrong with you, Leah." Lava rolled her eyes, a little annoyed.

"For the last time, I am not Leah! I am Lavagirl, as weird as that may sound, and I come from Planet Drool and I have super powers and…and…WHY do I bother with you people!" She asked with anger, her face red as she looked at the three of her 'friends', who looked slightly amused.

"Jeez Leah, who knew running into a tree would do this to you?" Keifer joked, half laughing. Kyle nodded in agreement.

"I didn't run into a tree! I was sucked into a portal and now I'm here with no clue of what happened to my _real_ friends." Her voice faded slightly and she sat on the end of the bed, looking rather sad. Kyle and Keifer shared worried looks, and Kyle sat down next to LG.

"Leah…uh, Lava…" He started a little unsure. "I know you think all this is true, but…"

"Lavagirl…" Kyle was cut off by his brother. Keifer was staring at Lavagirl intently, thinking hard--which wasn't normal for him. Lava slowly looked up at him. "Lavagirl…Lava…where have I heard this before?" He asked, frowning slightly in thought. Lava was suddenly intrigued. She stood up and walked over to Keif slowly.

"Keifer George…" She said, looking him directly in the eyes. Her eyes suddenly brightened as a memory came into her head. "Keifer George!" She said with excitement. "You were in Max and Marissa and Linus' class in 4th grade!" Keifer looked up in awe.

"Lavegirl! Sharkboy and Lavagirl! Of course…from…from Planet Drool and Max and Linus and Marissa! They all…I mean, you really _are_ Lavagirl!" He said with pure amazement. Lava then turned to Kyle and Cami, who looked slightly confused.

"She's already said that—" Kyle started, but LG cut him off.

"Kyle George! Camille Black! Max told me about you! Do you remember the day the electric storm hit?" Lava asked, raising an eyebrow at them. Cami suddenly jumped off the bed.

"That was real? I mean, that was you! And-and it was real?" She stuttered, a little in disbalife. LG nodded. Kyle wrinkled his nose.

"I thought that was a dream…" He mumbled.

"It was." Lavagirl said soflty. "You _were_ dreaming…with your eyes _open_." A soft smile come onto her face, and Kyle looked up at her with curious and wondering eyes.

"No…no…noooo…." Sharkboy was getting a little annoyed. His arms were crossed and he continued rolling his eyes. "Ok, NONE of these are right!" Sharkboy said, slapping the drawings down the ice table. Max sighed and leaned back in his chair, letting his head flop back and he stared up at the ceiling. Linus groaned and let his head fall onto the table. Marissa just sat there.

"Sharkboy…don't get mad." She finally said. Sharkboy glanced over at her.

"It's just…i-i…we need to find the right portal! We need to find her!" He slammed his fist on the table, but it was unsatisfactory because the ice muted the normally loud sound. Marissa nodded slightly and put a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"It's ok, Sharky…we'll find her." She said. Sharkboy was glad that she was there. She was the only one who was calm, it seemed. He nodded sadly and turned back to Max and Linus, now determined as ever. He picked up a new drawing that Max had been trying to finish while Sharkboy stared at him. Then he picked up one Linus was half done with. He examined each, then frowned a little. He slowly put put the two pages, folding the papers so the drawings would match. His eyes suddenly brightened.

"That's it!" He exclaimed, smiling down at the paper. Max and Linus looked over his shoulder, examining the drawing. They looked at each other with a smirk, nodding. That was defiantly the portal.

"Alright!" Marissa suddenly burst out with excitement. She put her arms around Max and gave him a big hug and kiss on the cheek. Sharky and Linus looked at each other, snickering at Max's red face.

"Ok, guys…and Marissa…" Max said, smiling at his girlfriend, "Let's get this plan into action."


	9. Chapter 9: Bubbly

**Chapter 9**

"Wait, I don't get it…" Keifer said, shaking his head. Lava sighed at him and turned to face him and Kyle. They were walking down the street to where Linus lived.

"I need to figure out what's going on before it makes sense." She repeated to him as she walked backwards.

"Uh….don't get it." Keif replied, nodding. Kyle rolled his eyes and smacked him on the side of the head.

"Then shut up until you figure it out!" He said and Keifer clamped his mouth shut. Cami laughed at them.

"Don't worry, LG, you'll get used to them." She said, nodding and grinning slightly. Lava shrugged and turned around, starting to walk forward again. Just as she turned, she ran into a stop sign pole.

"Ow!" She yelled as she fell back onto her butt, holding her head with her hand. She rubbed the sore spot and glared up at the pole. Kyle, Keifer, and Cami were all staring at it. Lava stood up and examined the pole. Then she gasped. "That's from me!" She said, fingering the black, imprinted hand marks burned into the pole. She turned and saw Linus' house. "Maybe everyone is there!" She said with excitement, running over to the door and ringing the doorbell repeatedly. No one answered. Lava's big smile soon faded.

"Lavagirl?" Lava turned to look at Kyle. She felt tears slowly coming to her eyes.

"Their not here…" She whimpered, her bottom lip quivering. If only she hadn't gotten her hopes up…Kyle looked at her sympathetically and Lava seemed to fall into his gaze, because the next thing she knew, she was sobbing into his shoulder, his comforting arms wrapped around her,

"YES!" Sharkboy jumped up and down…something her _never_ did. "This is it, guys!" He yelled over the whirling wind. Never in his life had he longed to see his best friend this much…never was he so…bubbly.


	10. Chapter 10: Real World Again

**Chapter 10**

Max and Marissa smiled at each other. Linus was jumping up and down like Sharkboy.

"We did it!" Linus repeated over and over. Sharkboy stopped jumping after a minute, but Linus didn't. They all stared at him.

"Linus…Linus, stop!" Max said, trying not to laugh. Linus stopped and looked aroumd, confused.

"Come on, you dorks." Marissa joked, her hair whipping in the strong wind.

"I've seen SB act like this." Korbie almost yelled, appearing from behind Marissa. All four teens stared down at her. She smiled up at them innocently. "Hellooo." She said in her 'I'm not guilty' 6 year old voice. Sharky smiled a little.

"Korb, I hope you don't think you're going." Marissa said. She acted like her older sister, now.

"B-but…I want to find Lavagirl!" She said, her bottom lip quivering. Max sighed.

"Korbie, you don't understand." He said. "Its different on Earth…you won't have any powers. You'll just be…a 6 year old." He nodded.

"That's exactly what I want!" Korbie cried, clinging to Max's legs, starting to whimper. "I want to go to Earth and be normal. I'm sick of being a princess…" She said sadly. Marissa kneeled next to her.

"Korbie, you realize how angry the King will be if we take you?" She asked. Korb let go of Max's legs and nodded, sniffling a little.

"Please, Ice…let me come?" She asked, giving her the big puppy dog eyes every kid is a specialist at. Marissa sighed.

"Ok…" She said, and Korbie instantly cheered up.

"Yes!" She exclaimed, running past Sharkboy and diving into the portal he had just found.

"KORBIE!" The four yelled, diving in after her.

Lavagirl was sobbing hysterically, laying face-down on the ground, hitting the ground repeatedly. Her new friends were sitting around her, and Kyle was rubbing her back, trying to sooth her.

"Lava, please calm down…" Cami said for the umpteenth time. Lava socked the ground hard and finally sat up, wiping at her tears. She had been much worse before…about an hour before, actually. Keifer sighed when she stopped crying.

"Wow that was a long crying session." He said and Kyle glared at him, telling him to shut up. He did. He was the younger twin, after all. Lavagirl rolled her eyes at him. There was a sudden gust of wind. Strong wind. The four looked up at the sky. It was perfectly sunny out, but there was a chilly wind that seemed to only be around them.

"The portal…" LG whispered, suddenly leaping to her feet and getting into a fighting stance, ready for anything the wind my blow their way. The twins and Cami all took a step back, knowing this was not the best place to be right now. But they were going to stand by their friend, no matter what. The portal suddenly appeared and widened, making a large hole in front of Lava. She balled her hands into fists, standing her ground confidently.

There was a long scream, like someone was falling. Suddenly, a little girl in a very formal dress fell to the ground. The portal disappeared, and there lay Princess Korbie. The small girl sat up and frowned.

"Korbie!" Lava exclaimed, running to her side and kneeling next to her. Korbie looked confused.

"Lavagirl?" She asked slowly. It sounded like Lava…but this was a human. Wearing a lot of pink…it was defiantly her, Korbie concluded. Lava smiled a little and nodded. Korbie grinned and gave her a large hug. "Lavagirl! I found you!" She said excitedly. "They almost didn't let me come, but I'm the one who found you! Isn't that right, guys?" She looked over her shoulder. "Guys?" She said slowly. No one was behind her.

"Korbie, you're the only one who came out of the portal." Lava said softly.

"B-but…no! They were right behind me!" She exclaimed, scrambling to her feet. She just about ran into Keifer. He smiled and waved down at her. Korbie screamed and ran back to LG. Kyle and Cami laughed at Keifer.

"Its ok, he's loser, but he won't hurt you." Lava said, laughing a little. Korbie frowned at the three mortals.

"Okay." She said, unsurely.

"Oh, I forgot. Guys, this is Princess Korbie. Korbie, that's Cami, Kyle, and Keifer." They waved.

"Oh, pleasure to meet you." Korb said and curtsied. She turned to Lava. "We have a problem." She said seriously.

Sharkboy, Max, Marissa, and Linus all landed in a bush at a park.

"Max?" A muffled voice came from under Max. "I can't breath." Max scrambled out of the bush and Sharkboy popped up. "Thank you." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Where's Korbie?" Marissa asked, looking around wide-eyed.

"I think the real question is, where are we?" Linus said, frowning.

"Oh no…" Max groaned, spotting a sign near by.

"What?" They all asked.

"We're 50 miles away from home." He said and pointed to the sign.

"That's not _that_ bad…" Sharkboy said, for once trying to cheer everyone up.

"It is when you have to walk." Linus said bitterly. Sharky sighed.

"I guess we'd better get started, then." He said, biting on his tongue. But something was wrong. "Hey, that didn't hurt…" He said, starting to panic.

"What…?" Max started, but Sharkboy was yanking the large sweatshirt off of his back. He screamed in fear. "What?!" Max asked again, then realized something. He yelled in shock, along with Linus. Marissa looked over her shoulder and gasped.

"I'm HUMAN!!!!" Sharkboy yelled, his voice thundering through the empty park.


	11. Chapter 11: Underneath It All

**Chapter 11: Underneath It All**

"What's the problem?" Lava asked, her eyes blinking in confusion. Korbie sighed a little. "Korbie?" Lavagirl asked.

"I kind of…lost the others." Korbi admitted slowly. Kyle, Keifer, and Cami all looked at each other.

"The…others?" Kyle asked slowly.

"Sharkboy, Max, Linus, and Marissa, duh." Korbie said, putting her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes at the incompetent mortals.

"You were with them?" LG asked, suddenly perking up. "Where are they? Are they alright?"

"I just told you, I lost them. I have no idea where they are." Korb sighed. "I think they're fine…" She frowned a little.

"SHARKBOY, SHUT UP!" Max yelled, slapping is hand over his mouth. Sharkboy finally ceased his panicked screaming, not willingly, obviously. "Now take a deep breath." Max instructed. SB mumbled something through his hand. "TAKE A DEEP BREATH!" Max shouted in his face. Sharkboy's eyes widened and he attempted to take a deep breath, but instead just vacuumed Max's hand against his human, non-shark mouth.

"Max, you need to calm down." Marissa said, putting her hand on his shoulder as Max yanked his hand away, wrinkling his nose at Sharkboy's action. Sharkboy shrugged innocently.

"Dude, put your shirt back on." Linus said, tossing the sweatshirt SB had on earlier onto his head. Sharkboy yanked it off and wrinkled his nose down at himself, forgetting that underneath it all, he had always been human. He reluctantly slipped the sweatshirt over his muscular body.

"We need to concentrate, everyone." Marissa said. "We need to find Lavagirl, figure out a way to get you back to normal, get back home, and stop the portal from destroying the world, or whatever it's doing." She nodded.

"I suggest we start walking, then." Linus said with a frown. The four reluctantly began their fifty mile walk to town.

Lavagirl, the twins, Cami, and Korbie were all sitting in Leah…err…Lava's bedroom. Lavagirl was sitting on the bed next to Kyle, hugging a pillow. Korbie was bouncing on the bed in front of them. Keifer was sprawled out on the carpeted floor, and Cami was in the window seat.

"So you dove into the portal, and ended up here?" Lava asked Korbie slowly.

"I've told you a bunch of times, yes!" Korbie exclaimed, jumping one last time before falling back on the bed.

"None of this makes sense." Cami frowned. "If you're in Leah's body, does this mean Leah is in your body?" She asked. LG's eyes widened in realization.

"She must be…she has to be. Souls can't wander aimlessly without a body." She said.

"This can't be good." Kyle decided with a nod.

"Does anyone else hear that?" Sharkboy asked, looking around with narrow eyes.

"Hear what?" Max asked. Suddenly, there was a blast of light farther down the road, then a loud scream. The foursome looked at each other, before running as fast as they could into the trees lining the road.

"LAVAGIRL!" Sharkboy shouted excitedly when he saw his best friends flaming pink hair. Lava spun around and looked at him. She screamed again. Sharkboy stopped running and gave her a weird look. "It's me, Sharkboy." He smiled and nodded. Lava stared at him.

"W-who?" She asked.

"SB…your best friend? Are you okay, Lavagirl?" Sharkboy looked at her strangely.

"Lavagirl?" Lava asked, her brown eyes wide. Sharkboy stared at her, just as she had a moment ago. It was his turn to scream.

"Sharkboy, what is it?!" Max yelled as he caught up to him. Sharkboy may be human, but he was still an incredibly fast runner. Max halted in his tracks at the sight of LG, causing the running Linus to slam into him. Both boys fell to the ground. Sharkboy calmed himself and continued staring at Lavagirl

"Who _are _you?" He asked, taking a step back.

"I-I'm Leah." The girl in LG's body said nervously. "Leah Grahm. What's going on? Who's Lavagirl?" She paused. "Why am I on fire?!" Sharkboy groaned.

"Lavagirl is…you. Well, the body you're in." Marissa said, jogging over and standing next to Sharkboy. Leah blinked Lavagirl's eyes. "I just don't understand how…"

"The last thing I remember is running into a tree." Leah said, nodding.

"Lavagirl was sucked through a portal…I wonder if she's in your body?" Max asked as he stood up, as well as Linus.

"I live a few miles from here." Leah said with a nod.

"Let's go find my best friend." Sharkboy said, taking his firm SB stance, his eyes gleaming with determination.


	12. Chapter 12: Whirlwind

**Chapter 12: Whirlwind**

Skye strut down the empty, dimly-lit street, her green eyes flashing if she saw any sign of movement. Her brown hair whipped in the crisp night air, even though the wind only seemed to be on her. She was searching, and she wouldn't give up until she found it.

Finally, after hours of looking, she saw a group of kids walking in her direction. One of them was giving off a soft pink light, and Skye smirked, knowing she'd have accomplished her mission soon enough.

"Leah. Can you stop…glowing?" Sharkboy asked hesitantly.

"No!" The girl's voice sounded harsh coming from Lavagirl's soft lips. It caused Sharkboy to flinch, and Max to sigh for about the fiftieth time that night.

"Sharkie, she doesn't know how to control her powers – " Marissa attempted to make him feel better, but she stopped when he turned a sharp glare on her.

"They are not _her_ powers." He growled. Max was about to sigh again, but Linus hit his arm before he could.

"E-excuse me?" A cool breeze danced around them as a shy-looking girl about their age appeared in front of them. The group halted in their tracks. Leah flamed up Lava's hair by accident, and Sharkboy absentmindedly lifted his arms to put it out. He blinked when nothing happened, and he looked at his tan, _human_ arms with an annoyed expression.

"Can we help you?" Max asked after a moment. The breeze was still spinning around them, which wasn't doing much for Leah's pink flames emitting from her hair.

"Yes." The green-eyed girl said softly. "I…I think I'm lost." A small frown etched across her delicate features, her pale nose wrinkling slightly. "Would you mind if - " She was cut off by a high-pitched squeal.

"That's MY body!" Lavagirl's voice echoed through the vacant street. Sharkboy's eyes lightened at the sound of his best friend's voice.

"Lavagirl!" He exclaimed, running down the street, standing in front of her not three seconds later. He blinked and looked at the other four. "Lavagirl…?" He asked slowly, a little unsure as to which one of the two girls – besides Korbie – was Lava.

"What?" Cami asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Lavagirl!" Sharkboy practically threw himself at her, wrapping his arms around the confused human girl and hugging her with his muscular arms.

"Help…" Cami squeaked. Lava smiled, and tapped Sharkie's hoodie-covered shoulder.

"What?" He snapped, not realizing he was hugging the wrong girl.

"Nice to see you, too." Lava put her hands on her, or more like, Leah's hips. Sharkboy blinked. He let go of the Cami, leaving her breathless. Literally. He opened his mouth to, once again, say her name. "Yes, Lavagirl." Lava said for him.

He grinned and began to lunge at her, to pull her into a breath-stealing hug, but was knocked back by a rather forceful gust of angry wind. He fell onto his back, barely managing to keep his head from the pavement. He looked around, perplexed, just as Lavagirl was.

Suddenly, Korbie screamed and ran behind Keifer and Kyle, who were both staring at the glowing that was Lava's body. Korbie, on the other hand, was staring wide-eyed at the mysterious girl in front of Max, Linus, Marissa, and Leah.

Skye blinked innocently at Korbie's scream.

"Korbie, what's wrong?" Marissa asked as she quickly scurried over to the other group. Korbie raised a shaky hand at the green-eyed girl.

Skye rolled her eyes suddenly, annoyed. "So much for acting innocent."

"W-what's going on?" Leah stuttered, widening Lavagirl's chocolate brown eyes. Sharkboy rose to his feet, amazed at how painful the fall had been to his human form.

"Get away from her!" Korbie shrieked at the remaining three. Leah instantly darted towards her friends, but only Keifer realized it was really Leah. Max and Linus exchanged looks, but didn't go anywhere. Korbie began screaming at them to come over to her, but neither boys moved.

Skye was still with her back to them, facing the larger group of people. "Oh, shut up." She snapped at Korbie, who closed her mouth instantly. Marissa put her hands protectively on the little princess's shoulders. Lava reached out instinctively to grab Sharkboy's, but he was forced away by another blow of wind. He frowned at this.

"Who are you?" Lava demanded, a deep frown now on her face, upset at the fact that, the time she would actually be able to touch Sharkboy without hurting him, which she had longed to do since they became a duo, someone wasn't allowing her to.

"I'm Skye." Skye said in a light voice. Her innocent act was suddenly gone, and even from the distance, Lavagirl could see her bright green eyes pierce her. Lava frowned more immensely. "I'm going to rock your world." She said as a cruel smile spread across her pale pink lips. "Or rather, destroy it."

She lifted her hand up in a spasmodic motion, and Leah was suddenly caught in a whirlwind, that drug her back over to Skye, and the two boys. Leah's fight was apparent, as the pavement was melted where she tried to dig her lava boots into the ground and stay in place.

Skye spun her index finger in a circle and Leah was trapped inside a small tornado-like wind that surrounded her, not allowing her to move. The flames lifted with the air that twirled around her, and the glow she gave off brightened the still-unfilled road.

Sharkboy started running forward, forgetting he had no real powers to fight with. He was stopped, again, but this time by a hand catching his and pulling him back. Sharkboy was too stunned to move, nor did he really want to. He just stood by Lava's in Leah's body, holding her hand as she gripped it tightly and glared at Skye, as if daring her to try and separate them again.

Skye rolled her eyes. "You people are pathetic as humans." She said. She again raised her hand, but more in a swift, graceful motion. A thick, brown leather-bound notebook floated over their heads and into Skye's small hand.

"My dream journal!" Max exclaimed ruthlessly in suddenly realization. He made a grab for it, but was lifted off his feet by invisible hands of the wind. Marissa gasped in worry for him as Skye's free hand flicked to the side, and Max went flying out of sight. Marissa took of running in the direction he went, and so did Linus.

Cami watched this all in fear and confusion, but now had taken Marissa's place and put comforting, yet firm hands on a immobile Korbie's shoulders. The twins were just in shock, not able to do anything in something so surreal to the real world.

It was just Sharkboy and Lavagirl. They were the only ones who could do anything…even if it meant doing it in human form.

"Prepare for your lives to come to a screeching halt." Skye sneered. The tornado around Lava's body suddenly stopped and Leah collapsed to the ground, gasping for air that the tornado had a lack thereof.

Before she could even try to stand again, she was lifted from the street, much like Max had been. The flames of her body, as well as the glow, rose in surprise, and Skye smiled deviously as she tossed the book carelessly at her. The flames devoured it in seconds, and large portal appeared from the ground, and Skye disappeared into it without another word.


End file.
